


Brighter than the sun

by GreenRose (Denegressi)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Family, Fluff, Luke doesn't know what's happening, M/M, Slow Burn, skywalkers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28655151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denegressi/pseuds/GreenRose
Summary: Luke is a young Jedi of the new Order who has his whole life in front of him. Being the son of a famous war hero and one of the most powerful Jedi in history can be tough sometimes, but he knows by now how handle it. What really shakes his world is a certain Manalorian...
Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 23
Kudos: 151





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in ages but I've decided to give a go at these two. English is far from my first language and there's no beta so I'm sorry if it's all a bit blunt.
> 
> Also... I'm terrible with updates but I do hope to finish this one.

_Darling don’t forget to bring your sister when you leave. Your father is not at the Temple and will come directly home._

Luke had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at his mother’s hologram. She had told him that same thing about three times in two days. Of course he could understand that Padmé missed her youngest daughter and was desperate to see her so he sent her a relaxing message saying that Unna wasn’t forgotten and he would get her as soon as he was free for his small break.

The Jedi Order had changed significantly since the end of the clone wars almost twenty years before. Luke had heard many stories about the rules that were imposed to all Jedi when his father was about his age and he was grateful that the Order had evolved. The thought of a life without his family was unbearable to him, no matter how he felt about the Force and the Jedi.

And no matter how much his sisters drove him crazy when he was home with the three of them. Except maybe Leia, his twin. Maybe _he_ was the one to drive her crazy most of the time.

Out of the four siblings, Luke and his 5-year-old sister Unna attended the Jedi Temple. Contrary to what happened when his father was young, they could go home frequently even though they spent most of their time at the Temple. In twenty years, the change was already evident with many Jedi choosing to have families, however, maybe not as big as Anakin’s.

Nyra, who was 14, wanted nothing to do with the Jedi even though she was also strong with the Force. Unlike Leia, she wasn’t following Padmé’s steps either so her future was a mystery even to Anakin, but he was sure that she would figure it out in time.

Unna, the little one, had just started her training, and even though it was mostly fun and games at her age, Luke could distinctly feel how strong she was.

As Luke entered the younglings’ area he saluted Master Secura who seemed to be in charge for the day and immediately spotted his sister. She was sharing the seat with a child he had never seen before… He instantly caught Luke’s attention since he was the same species as late Master Yoda. Luke missed the old Jedi Master that had passed away only a year before, so the sight of that little child brought a smile to his lips.

The lesson was already over so Unna sprinted to her brother when she saw him.

“Luke!”

The other child immediately followed her, which greatly amused Luke.

“Hey little sister,” crouching down, he opened his arms as she clashed against him. “Ready to go home?”

“Yes! But can we wait for Grogu’s father, so he won’t be alone?”

“Grogu?” He asked, looking at the child.

“Yes! He’s new, so I’m his only friend for now.”

Luke smiled at his sister and then at Grogu who babbled at him. He had no idea what his relative age was, but he seemed and looked too young, younger than Unna definitely.

“Of course-“ In that precise moment, Grogu’s ears perked up and he looked at the entrance expectantly.

Looking back, the young Jedi watched a man in full mandalorian armour and something in his stomach twitched at the sight. For a split second, he clenched his jaw and got up, putting a hand on his sister’s shoulder as if to feel more grounded.

Grogu went straight to the man’s arms as fast as he was able to with his small legs and Luke felt more and more mesmerized at the tenderness as said man picked him up and pulled him against his armoured chest.

Master Secura walked over to them and they were probably talking about the child but Luke could only feel his chest constrict even more as he heard the Mandalorian’s voice. Suddenly he came back to himself as he felt his sister tugging in annoyance.

“We can go now, Luke.” He looked down at her big brown eyes and shuddered. Unna kept looking at him, certainly sensing her brother’s weirdness but not fully grasping the cause of it. Luke felt relieved that she was only five so she probably wouldn’t get to the depths of it, had it been Leia or Nyra and his luck would have been completely different.

“Yes, yes, sure! You want to say goodbye to your friend?” The Mandalorian was now turning on his heels, with Grogu in his arms but he stopped at Unna’s voice.

“Bye Grogu!” From his father’s arms, the child babbled at her, waving with a definite smile in his eyes. Gone was the uncertainty from before.

The Mandalorian looked back and Luke felt his amusement. “I see you made friends, kid… I’m proud of you!”

“I have his back Mr. Mandalorian!” Luke closed his eyes and bit his lower lip at his sister’s shamelessness, but he heard the man chuckle so he kind of thanked her for it.

“Unna! Manners…”

“It’s alright,” said the Mandalorian. “But you can call me Din.”

“I’m Unna, and this is my brother Luke.” She looked up at her brother and frowned. “Why are you being weird?”

Of all the things that could happen, Luke found himself blushing furiously. As a distraction he picked his sister up, something he didn’t do all that much recently and tried his best to laugh. “I’m not being weird, you just need to learn how to talk to people you’ve just met.”

“It’s quite alright,” the Mandalorian – Din – said. “I guess we’ll see each other around.” With that he turned around and made his way out, leaving an overwhelmed Luke still holding onto his sister.

“You’re really weird… Can we go home? Where’s father?”

Sighing, Luke put her down, “too many questions.”

*

Later that evening, Luke approached his father who was sitting on his favourite armchair reading a report from his latest padawan who would soon pass the trials. He could sense Anakin was worried about this one, so he devoted even more time to her. That was the thing about his father, as Ahsoka used to say – what would surprise people was his kindness and how much he cared.

“Father…” Luke frowned, wondering if it was a good idea to bring up the subject currently on his mind. Anakin lifted his head to face his son, sensing his discomfort. Their bound was incredibly strong so Luke knew there was no coming back now. “Have you been training the younglings lately?”

“No not really…. With your sister there my presence is always a little distracting to her… Why do you ask?”

Luke sighed, putting one hand below his chin as he sat at the nearby table. “There a new child there… He looks so much like Master Yoda…”

Anakin smiled fondly and nodded, “Grogu.”

“Exactly!” Luke beamed, a little too enthusiastic maybe. “Unna seems to be close to him so she wanted to wait until his father arrived earlier today. She didn’t want him to be alone…”

“Well, that proves how intuitive your sister is for her age. Grogu suffers from moderate anxiety… A great part of the Council was against his training because of that.” Luke doesn’t need his father to tell him that he didn’t agree with that big part of the Council… Shaking his head, Anakin continued. “But that child and his father were in desperate need for help, there was no way the Jedi could ignore that. You were on the mission to Iego when they went to the Temple, that’s why you’re not familiar with all this.”

“Can you tell me more? I mean… I don’t mean to pry but… I felt something when his father picked him up, I can’t explain…”

“Patience, my son.” Anakin smiled knowingly and, much to his despair, Luke blushed. Again.

“It’s not like that at all! I mean… I didn’t even see his face!”

Anakin knew what he was feeling, well in a way, he could sense everything his son was going through but he knew he couldn’t interfere. He could give advice though, but he wasn’t sure Luke was ready for that. Actually, he knew Luke hadn’t even understood what was going on yet.

“What did you feel then?”

“I felt like… I felt like I had been waiting for him. But what sense does this make? We shared a couple of words and his voice felt familiar… I don’t understand.”

“You will figure it out. I’m sure of it. And you know I’m here for whatever you may need.”

They both felt Padmé approaching and grew silent. Luke kept his frown and Anakin smiled up at his wife when she walked in.

“What are you two conspiring about?”

“We don’t conspire my love, we plot!”

“Oh! I knew the politician in you would come out one day.”

“Nonsense!” Anakin took her hand and pulled her closer until she was sitting on his lap.

“Unna is so happy! She kept telling me about her new friend… He’s Djarin’s son, right?” That caught Luke’s attention, but Anakin didn’t even flinch as if expecting Padmé to bring that up. “I’m so glad things are working out for them both. That man truly deserves some peace…” When she turned to her son, she was surprised by his facial expression. “What’s the matter darling?”

“No-nothing mother! In fact, I should go to my room… It has been a long day and I want to wake up early tomorrow so we can have some proper time together.” He got up and kissed his perplexed mother’s temple and his father cheek. “Good night!” Padmé looked at her husband but he just shrugged and kissed her. “Ani!”

“Leave him be… He’s alright.” Trusting him as ever, she smiled and touched her forehead to his.

“If you say so… Will you carry me to bed?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a bit more of Din in this chapter, hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Also, I know the POV's are all over the place, it is intentional and I'm still figuring out how to work on it properly. I hope it's not too much of a mess!

Padmé Amidala was known for her work ethic and caring attitude as well as her feisty spirit. Even though she was no warrior nobody would deny her courage whenever needed. She had fought her own way through the clone wars and she had fought to keep her children safe in a time everything was still unclear to both her and Anakin. They survived, and even though their struggles were far away in the past, there was still the random retrograde being that would think what they did was wrong and would condemn their actions.

In her opinion, Coruscant was no place to raise children so when Luke and Leia were born, as a way to protect them from prying eyes, she had retired to Naboo with her husband as she had always wanted. The politician and activist in her wouldn’t let her stay away from the Senate for long though, so she would travel back and forth while Anakin happily stayed with the kids on Naboo. He needed space from the Jedi Order to gather his thoughts and, more than that, he wanted to raise those children, to be a real father.

Eventually, they both had to go back to their home in Coruscant as Anakin found his way back to the Jedi Order as well as his former padawan Ahsoka, but they still travelled to Naboo with the children as many times as possible.

Padmé was at her office, buried deep in her thoughts until the communicator on her desk beeped.

“Yes.”

“Senator, Din Djarin is here as you requested.”

“Perfect. Send him in, please.”

“Right away Senator.”

Smiling to herself, she caressed her wedding ring and looked up at the door as the Mandalorian made his way in.

“Senator Amidala,” he said with a soft bow of his head.

“Djarin,” she smiled, “thank you for accepting my request. Please sit.” He did so and she sat on the other side of her desk. “Anakin tells me your son is faring well at the Temple.”

“Seems like it…”

Sensing he wasn’t a man of many words, Padmé decided it was best to go straight to the point.

“I called you here to ask you to go to Mandalore on a sort of mission.”

“I’m listening.”

“You know our relationship has always been somewhat… tense. So can you imagine my surprise when the Senate received a distress message from Bo-Katan because of a new wave of terrorist attacks? She must be truly desperate to come to us…”

The Madalorian didn’t say a word and Padmé sighed, getting up from her chair and walking to the big window behind her.

“Since Madalore is autonomous, it took a lot of work to get the Senate to agree on helping, but I owe it to Bo-Katan’s family that always treated me so well to at least try.”

“Did you succeed?” Padmé was startled by his voice.

“I did,” she stated, looking back at him with a smile. “Chancellor Organa is willing to send you and a Jedi Knight to Mandalore see exactly what’s happening. Our course of action will depend on your report.”

“A Jedi Knight?”

“Yes, of course. You’re not going on your own. It’s not that we don’t trust you, but we try to never send anyone alone in such missions. The Jedi Council will assign someone to go with you and you leave tomorrow so make your arrangements, please.”

Din hoped said Jedi wouldn’t be Anakin Skywalker. It wasn’t easy to intimidate the Mandalorian, but Skywalker certainly did. There was something about him, whether it was that war hero aura or the fact people said that he could crush a ship with a simple squeeze of his fist that definitely didn’t contribute to putting Din at ease whenever he was in his presence. Luckily, that only happened twice so far.

Somehow, he could hardly comprehend how someone like Padmé Amidala was married to him.

“I will, Senator.”

“You’ll be paid accordingly, of course.” She smiled at him with warmth that got through his helmet. “I hope you do well here, Djarin, honestly. The Republic will always be in your debt for the capture of Gideon.”

“As long as Grogu is safe and gets his training, I will be alright,” he said getting up. “That would be all?”

“Yes, yes! Thank you for coming.”

Padmé accompanied him to the door and they said their goodbyes before she closed it behind him.

*

When Din got to his ship on the next day, the Jedi was already there. Dressed in dark robes, he turned around and pushed back his hood making the Mandalorian stop momentarily on his tracks. It was the young man from the other day, the one with the impossible blue eyes.

“Good morning,” he greeted and the Mandalorian repeated the words. “I didn’t introduce myself properly last time, I’m Luke Skywalker.”

“Skywalker?”

The Jedi grimaced ever so slightly looking down, his hands still clasped near his belt.

“Well yes…” He answered, looking down sheepishly. “Guess that makes me a privileged brat of sorts.”

“That’s… that’s definitely not what I meant.”

Shaking his head, Luke smiled. “Come on, let’s go,” nodding towards the ship, he prompted his companion to get in first since it’s his ship anyway.

*

_“My first mission on my own will be on Mandalore with Din Djarin?”_

_Luke repeated in astonishment what he had gathered from Master Windu’s talk._

_“Is there a problem young Skywalker?”_

_From all the Jedi of the Council, Master Windu was the one that scared him the most. He could sense his father trying to calm him down through their Force bond and thankfully it actually worked._

_“None at all, Master. I just wasn’t expecting it. What exactly am I supposed to do once I’m there?”_

_“Mandalore has always had trouble with both the Jedi and the Sith.” Master Kenobi continued and Luke felt grateful for that. He didn’t know how long the soothing effect would last if he had to keep talking and looking at Master Windu. “There has been some suspicious reports that a Sith might be behind these attacks.”_

_Luke frowned. "Aren’t they extinct?”_

_“Once we thought they were, and it revealed to be a terrible mistake.” Luked sensed Anakin’s calmness shiver ever so slightly. No matter how many years passed since those events when the war ended he still got affected whenever it was mentioned. “We can’t follow that same path. This doesn’t mean there’s a Sith Lord over there… It could be an artefact or something that represents them somehow. Or nothing at all!”_

_“You’ll only be there to observe.” Master Windu continued. “If you suspect anything you must inform the Council immediately. You’re not to take any actions without our approval.”_

_“Yes Master. Thank you for your trust.”_

_“That would be all.”_

_He bowed and looked at his father who softly smiled at him._

_*_

Once in the cockpit, Din took his seat and Luke sat at his right side, slightly behind him.

“If you need any help do not hesitate to ask.”

“I’m used to fly without a co-pilot but thank you for offering.”

Nodding, Luke took a good look at his surroundings, and, honestly, he wouldn’t mind flying this thing himself but he would never even consider asking. However, he needed to think of something to say because the silence would become unbearable along all the way to Mandalore.

“This is my first mission on my own. I thought you should know.”

Why he thought it was relevant to share that piece of information he didn’t know. Closing his eyes, he berated himself for his impulsive ways.

“Don’t worry, you’re not on your own.”

Luke gulped and liked his lips unintentionally.

Inside his helmet, the Mandalorian felt himself cursing at his own choice of words. Why was this kid waking up what he had worked so hard to keep under the surface?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too bad?
> 
> I'm @luzmyway on tumblr if you wish to come say hi!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to add the lowborn tag because I feel like these two will take forever, but they will eventually get there!
> 
> Hope you enjoy, even with all the inaccuracies. In case it's not clear, italics are flashbacks.

They didn’t share many words during the flight to Mandalore. Luke desperately wanted to, but somehow didn’t know where to start. Maybe mentioning his sister’s friendship with Grogu would be a good topic to start a conversation but he didn’t seem to find the right moment to bring it up.

Surprisingly, a couple of hours into the trip, while Luke had his eyes closed trying to stay collected, it was the Mandalorian who broke the silence.

“You’ve finished your Jedi training already?”

The deep voice felt like an electric shock to Luke. A good one.

“Yes. I’ve passed the trials earlier this year.”

“Your father was your teacher?”

Luke chuckled at the image. He didn’t think he would survive as his father’s Padawan.

“We say Master, and no, he would never… He’d be too hard on me so nobody would think I was being favoured. That’s why he says he’d never directly train us. Ahsoka Tano was my Master. Well, actually, I think she’ll always be,” he smiled.

“I don’t think I’ve met her.”

“She’s the best,” Luke smiles. “Actualy she was my father’s Padawan during the Clone Wars so you could say she’s family too.” The Mandalorian didn’t say anything so he continued. “It will still be a while before Grogu is assigned to a Master, but I really hope he’s as lucky as I was.”

“I thought all Jedi were good.”

Luke could feel the teasing in his voice and he was just glad that Din was willing to keep talking to him afterall. From what he gathered the Mandalorian was not a man of many words…

“Well, good doesn’t mean perfect. And relationships between Masters and Padawans don’t always work. Sometimes there’s the need to change in the middle of training and that’s never a good thing.”

Silence fell over them again and the young Jedi tried to remain calm. How was he supposed to go on with the mission if he was constantly lusting after his companion? He didn’t want to disappoint the Jedi Council, so he needed to focus. He already dreaded the looks of _you’ll never be as good as your father_ without actual failing, so he didn’t want to give any reason for those people to think they were right.

*

_“Are you nervous?” Leia asked him the night before his departure._

_“I’m working on it. On not being nervous, I mean. I’m supposed to be able to control this.”_

_“I bet that the fact that you’re going with_ him _isn’t helping…”_

_“Leia!”_

_“Hey! It’s me you’re talking to, remember? There’s no way I won’t know how you’re feeling. Actually… You’re being too obvious this time, anyway,” she teased him. “But you barely know the man… What is it about him?”_

_“That’s the thing… I don’t know. It’s visceral, it’s… I felt like something had stricken me from the inside when he walked into the younglings yard. And it’s terrifying.”_

_“Have you talked to father about it?”_

_“Very briefly… But he just_ knows _. That’s why he was uncomfortable when the Council was assigning me this mission. He fears I won’t be concentrated enough and that can be dangerous, as you well know._

_Leia looked down and grabbed her brother’s hands. “You come back, you understand?”_

_At that moment, Nyra, the middle child, knocked on the door and opened immediately, making the twins roll their eyes. “Mother is calling for dinner.”_

_“Why do you even knock?” Luke grumbled._

_“Because I’m polite.”_

_“Meddler.”_

_“Dimwit.”_

_Leia sighed at their antics, used to it and actually finding it quite entertaining._

*

“We’re almost landing,” Din commented after a while.

Finally, Luke thought. At least he wouldn’t be confined with that fine man in a small cockpit for long…

Din contacted the base for directions to the platform and, once again, Luke asked if there was something he could help with. As expected, the Mandalorian answered with a simple _no_.

All of a sudden, as they approached the platform, Luke was invaded by a new disquiet – everything was getting too real, this _was_ his first mission without any of the Masters. In his nervousness, he bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Before he even noticed, the ship was touching down and Din was switching it off.

“Let’s go!” He said getting out of his seat.

“May the Force be with us.”

*

Luke had never been to Mandalore, but he knew it was a place known for their ferocious warriors. Since the Clone Wars, they had been mostly pacific but Luke could see it in their faces and he could feel that at the slightest menace, things could burst out.

The air was hot and dry, but as they were driven to the Palace, Luke could see that there were many inhabitants and the main streets were busy and almost chaotic. There was some vegetation in the form of trees, probably brought in from other planets and planted there to give a sense of freshness. However, mostly, it was a planet of metal and concrete.

The Sundari Royal Palace, residence of the Mandalorian ruler, stood out from the rest of the buildings. As they approached it, Luke could distinctly see the plaza where the ruler traditionally addressed the people, it was the most iconic feature of the Palace.

As the speeder came to a stop, both men got out and were greeted by Bo-Katan’s guards.

“The Mand’alor awaits you.”

They followed them to the throne room, where Bo-Katan sat. The Mand’alor and Din haven’t always been in agreement, that much was known, but he’d be eternally grateful to her for helping to save Grogu, so he actually thought that the position suited her.

“Welcome!” She said rising from her seat, red hair framing her sharp face perfectly as always. “Din Djarin,” her eyes landed on Luke then, and her throat tightened. Even though she had been helped by the Jedi in the past, their history as ancient enemies still ran through her veins apparently. However, she did a good job trying to let it go. “Luke Skywalker. Ahsoka has spoken highly of you, I’ve never known her to be wrong.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you in person. I’ve heard many stories of your bravery.”

“Flattery from a Jedi… Who would have thought?” She chuckled and walked down the few steps to get closer to her guests. “Leave us,” she told the guards who bowed slightly and turned around. “The decision to ask for help wasn’t effortlessly taken. Many of my advisors were against it. I’m glad though, that the Republic chose _you_ Djarin, because in the end, I always knew I had no choice.”

“What exactly is happening?” Din asked.

“Come, let’s sit at the saloon, we will be more comfortable.” They both nodded and followed her to a room with a big table and cushioned chairs. “How is the little one, by the way?”

“Getting his training.”

“Good,” she said tight-lipped as she sat down and motioned both both men to do the same. Taking a deep breath, she started from the beginning.

“The first attack happened right after Life-day, so that’s half a year ago. Even though it was devastating, the six terrorists were killed on the spot so we mourned the victims and investigated the attackers history and that was it. We found nothing so we just assumed it was a single strike with no further consequences.”

“How was the attack exactly?” Luke asked.

“Bombings in our main square. The attackers were actually suicide; _they_ were the bombs.”

“I see.”

“Sixty days passed, and there was another attack. Six suicide bombers again. But this times it was near our warehouses so we lost a lot of our provisions and groceries. Sixteen days later it was our ship hangar. You see there’s a pattern, right?”

Luke scratched the side of his head, only now understanding the urgency of the mission. “We have five days until the next bombing,” Luke concluded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you feel so inclined and come say hi on tumblr @luzmyway


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for keeping up with me :) I'm not sure I've mentioned before but English is not my mother tongue and this is not beta-ed so all mistakes are my own!

“What do you think about all this?” Luke asked the Mandalorian as they made their way to their chambers.

“I think someone has been deceiving them and acting just to cause fear, maybe, for a bigger purpose. The whole picture is probably bigger than we expect.”

“A bigger purpose…” Luke repeated. “The Sith usually act that way - on the shadows, plotting and grooming people to join them. They always wait for the right moment. The Jedi Council never truly believed they ended with Palpatine’s death…”

They entered their common dining room with two doors that led to each bedroom. Luke didn’t want to be alone yet, even though he had an important message to transmit. It was early in Coruscant though, so it could wait.

Luke opened one of the cupboards and took out two mugs. “I’ll make us some tea.” Din didn’t refuse and the younger man took it as a good sign.

“These Sith Lords you talk about, they’re basically the opposite of the Jedi right?”

Nodding, Luke smiled briefly, happy that Din seemed to want to keep chatting. The Mandalorian pushed back one of the chairs and sat down, elbows on the table as he looked at the Jedi.

“You could say that. They’ve been destroyed many times but their doctrine is always there, so they’re never really gone. My sisters and me grew up hearing stories about the Clone Wars and how everything was a mere Sith scheme. One that caused so much chaos and took so many lives.” All of it sounded like a distant story, something made up to entertain people, but it wasn’t… And his parents had been right in the epicentre of it all since the beginning. It was a miracle that their family survived and Luke knew it had been a close call.

“I vaguely recall hearing that Chancellor Palpatine was behind the war. I was a kid but I remember how the trust people had on the Republic shattered just like that, “ he snapped his fingers.

“I know… It took them years to recover. But Leia and I were being raised away from it all. We were born on the day everything was revealed you know? On the day the war was over.”

“How prophetic!” Din teased.

Luke chuckled and put Din’s mug in front of him. “Oh wait, where did I see it…? Aha!” He turned around to pick up something and came back to put a straw on the mug.

Din smiled inside his helmet and his heart swelled for the young man’s consideration. It wasn’t that common among the people he usually hang out with. “Thank you.”

Luke merely smiled and blew on his own tea. “Careful, it’s too hot. But yeah, we were premature because at that point my mother was so stressed and it just happened.”

“It was your father who killed the Chancellor wasn’t he?”

“Yes, but…” Luke closed his eyes and wondered if he should go on. What had happened at the Chancellor’s quarters that night wasn’t a secret among his family or the Jedi Council, but it wasn’t something that was thoroughly explained to the general public either. He decided not to put it all out there; after all, he didn’t know this man. “It was tough on him… Two Jedi were killed in that room that night and Master Windu and my father almost got killed as well.” Feeling bold, Luke decided to try to change the course of the conversation. “What about you? How did a fierce Mandalorian like you end up with a Force sensitive baby in his arms?”

Din lowered his head slightly, stirring his tea with the straw. “Let’s not go there just yet, Jedi.”

Clenching his jaw almost imperceptibly, Luke retracted and smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude… It just flew out of my mouth before I thought it through, I apologise.”

“No need to fret.” With that, he lifted his helmet ever so slightly, just enough to pass the straw through. With respect, Luke glanced down at his own mug. “I know people have a lot of questions about me, my past, who I am… Trust me, I’m not that special. Not like Grogu.”

“You don’t need to be Force sensitive to be special though. I’ve already decided that you are, so…” He wasn’t exactly sure what got into him to be so straightforward but he was proud of himself for it. “My Master says I’m good at reading people.”

“Even people with helmets?” Din teased. This Skywalker guy was revealing to be quite… electrifying. As he suspected before, he was starting to awake certain traits that the Mandalorian had long maintained very deep under the surface.

“ _Especially_ people in helmets, mind you. The others are too easy.”

Believing that enough was enough for one evening, the Mandalorian sighed and got up from his chair. “Thank you for the tea, Luke Skywalker, and have a good night. I’ll see you in the morning so we can start the investigations.”

“Good night.” Disappointment hit Luke like an arrow, but he felt good at the same time. He knew it would take time, but he’d get there, he wasn’t one to give up too easily.

*

As soon as Luke got to his assigned room, he made contact with the Jedi Council.

The blue hologram started flickering until it was stable enough for a conversation. Luke could see Master Kenobi and Master Windu.

“Greetings Young Skywalker,” Master Windu started. “I sense that you have troubling news.”

“I do Masters.” He proceeded by telling them Bo-Katan’s story, adding the fact that he sensed great fear among all Mandalorians, there was no sense of safety anywhere. “I also have a… strange feeling that comes and goes.”

“Define _strange feeling_ ,” Master Windu intervened.

“I haven’t figured out the source of it yet… But sometimes… I feel this darkness like there’s something behind me, creeping up on me, I feel cold… and then it just disappears.”

“Hum….” Master Kenobi pondered, “the Dark Side again... It’s becoming more and more plausible. Sighing, Obi-Wan scratched his forehead before turning to Master Windu. “We have to send back up. This could be too much for one young Jedi Knight.”

“Master Kenobi, I have no idea what’s going on yet, tomorrow the Mandalorian and I will do some research, I think we should talk after that and re-evaluate the situation before you decide to send back up.”

“You have five days until the next attack, Luke, we’re running out of time.”

“I just ask for tomorrow, let’s see what we can find.”

Obi-Wan studied him for a moment, understanding that he wanted to be given some credit. That boy – man! - was family to him and sometimes it was difficult to differentiate and accept that he had indeed grown up. Luke saw the Masters looking at each other, trying to get to an understanding.

“Alright, Luke. We’ll talk tomorrow and decide at that moment,” Obi-Wan started, “but we’ll inform the Council now and if a decision is made to act right away, there’s nothing I can do. But for now rest, tomorrow will be a big day for both of you.”

“Thank you Master.”

“May the Force be with you.”

The image disappeared and Luke sat on the bed. He needed to contact his sister, he had promised.

It didn’t take long before Leia’s image appeared in front of him. He could see she was home, in their kitchen and he could see her whole face lightening up at the sight of him, even in the blue light of the hologram.

“Hey sis!” He greeted.

“I was starting to think you had forgotten…” In that moment, Nyra and Padmé appear behind her.

“Darling! How are you, settled in already?” His mother asked.

“Yes, I’m fine! It’s only the first day mother, relax…”

“Sure… You could ask me to stop breathing as well. I never truly relax when it comes to you and your sisters.”

“Don’t worry mother, only half of us want to follow father’s path,” Nyra teased, throwing an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “You only have to be _half_ worried.”

Without looking away from her brother, Leia rolled her eyes and got up from the chair. “I’m sorry ladies, but Luke and I need to talk in private!”

Nyra merely lifted her hands in the air stepping back as Padmé shot her eldest daughter a resentful look. “Really?”

“Yes, say goodbye!” Picking up the hologram projector, Leia took one last sip of her drink and went up to her bedroom. “It’s a twin thing,” she said, winking at her mother and sister. When she got to her destination she closed the door behind her and placed the hologram on her desk. “Ok, spit it out.”

“You didn’t need to do that… It’s not like I have something to tell…”

“Luke…”

“We’ve just talked… And I need to focus on the mission not on his… his deep, strong voice. I wonder if it’s softer when he has no helmet?” Leia smirked. “Anyway, that’s all. I still know absolutely nothing about him.”

“Well… It’s as you say, you both need to focus on this, but you never know. But please, lover boy, don’t let it affect your senses while you’re there.”

“I almost told him about what happened when the war ended… I mean, I’m not sure if it would be that terrible for him to know but… it would probably be a mistake to go down that path.”

“Telling him that the great Anakin Skywalker briefly turned evil… Yeah, that could shake things up. Mother says that the only person who seems to affect him and make him nervous just by being there is our old man. So yeah… It was probably a good thing that you didn’t tell him.”

“He did the right thing in the end Leia… He killed Palpatine.”

“We know that, the Jedi know that, but a you know they don’t want the details to be out to someone we barely know.”

“I know, I know… Anyway, how’s Han?”

“An asshole as usual,” she smiled fondly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this self-indulgent little thing and don't hesitate to tell me what you think here or at tumblr @luzmyway

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to say hi on tumblr I'm luzmyway. Don't be shy!


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